Longmont cops say car break-ins, vandalism cost community more than $500,000 in six months

Meanwhile, number of reports slip year over year

By Pierrette J. Shields Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
11/30/2013 07:33:01 PM MST

Updated:
11/30/2013 07:33:54 PM MST

This vehicle was among 46 that were victims of vandalism on Nov. 12. Nearly a half-million dollars of damage has been done by vandals in Longmont over the past six months.
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Matthew Jonas
)

Typically, car break-ins and vandalism fall short of making headlines, but the small-time crimes are costing residents some big-time dollars in the past six months -- more than a half million of them.

According to police, in the past six months, residents have reported $140,445 in damages and losses from car break-ins. Vandalism has cost just shy of $370,000 in damages in the same six-month period. Much of that was caused in sprees that police suspect were committed by a group of 14 teenagers in the community. Several have been arrested -- sometimes more than once -- in a number of cases, but they are hardly responsible for everything, according to investigators. Officers have nabbed a handful of other suspects in criminal mischief and car break-in cases.

Although it may seem odd, police reports comparing 2012 to 2013, year to date, show a drop in the number of reports in both crime classifications. For criminal mischief/vandalism, the reports dropped 16 percent. For car break-ins, Longmont police tallied a 5 percent drop. However, that data doesn't include a very busy November 2013. Nearly 60 vehicles sustained damage when vandals used a baseball bat during a smashing spree in early November. Similarly, police received 64 reports of car break-ins through Nov. 26, according to crime analyst Matt Lee.

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Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said a few expensive vandalism cases ran up the cost to the community. In May, a landlord reported extensive damage to a leased property. In July, vandals destroyed a $40,000 Civil War Memorial statue at Longmont's Mountain View Cemetery. This month the windows were smashed on vehicles. Most of those involved in the cemetery vandalism were referred to the city's restorative justice program, and one man is still wanted on an outstanding warrant for the damage to the statue.

The Civil War veterans memorial monument in Mountain View Cemetery in Longmont was destroyed in August.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

Police reported he left the state.

"I suspect most of this is kids and they are wreaking havoc on our community," Satur said.

Police call these kinds of crimes "quality of life" crimes and they are not benchmarks for national crime rates, like felony personal crimes such as murder, robbery or sexual assault. Longmont's quality of life crime indicators have dropped from 2012 to 2013. Assaults have dropped 17 percent, burglaries are down 24 percent, in addition to the dips in reports of criminal mischief/vandalism and car break-ins. Auto thefts, however, have increased by 7 percent year over year.

Satur said residents can make a considerable impact on the crimes through vigilance. He said more than 75 percent of the car break-ins reported were to unlocked vehicles. Thieves roamed neighborhoods and tried car handles and would only enter unlocked vehicles to steal items. Locked doors prevented plenty of thefts. Thieves also took advantage of open garage doors, but did not try to enter any that were closed.

Thieves also are deterred when they look into a car window and see nothing of value inside. Satur said residents should remove or hide valuables in vehicles.

Because many of the suspects are underage, Satur said residents should report juveniles out at night and should call immediately if anything suspicious is going on.